ASICS VENTURES INVESTS IN MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDER PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE STARTUP, JAPAN HEALTHCARE

ASICS Corporation (Headquarters: Kobe, Japan; President & COO Yasuhito Hirota) is pleased to announce that its investment subsidiary ASICS Ventures Corporaiton (Headquarters: Kobe, Japan; President Hiroaki Kageyama) has invested in healthcare startup, Japan HealthCare Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Koto-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director and Medical Doctor, Daichi Okabe). Japan HealthCare aims to develop preventative systems for musculoskeletal disorders such as knee and low back pain.

With the mission of “building an ideal society where anyone can walk well for life”, Japan HealthCare was founded in June 2017 by Daichi Okabe who is one of the few podiatrists in Japan. As a Japanese startup, Japan HealthCare’s main business is developing and selling custom-made insoles (“HOCOH”) created through photos of feet taken by smartphone.
HOCOH supports wearers with foot and hip pain because it stabilizes the entire body from the foot and alleviates the burden on the wearer’s whole physique. Japan HealthCare won the Grand Prize in the ASICS Accelerator Program, which was held from October 2020 through February 2021.

Right:Japan HealthCare Representative Director & Medical Doctor Daichi Okabe

One of the strategic objectives in ASICS’ Mid-Term Plan 2023 is “Realization of a sustainable society integrating business activities”. ASICS aims to enable a healthy and fulfilled mind and body for people all over the world and provide them with a sustainable environment where they can play sports.

The investment in Japan HealthCare is in line with such ASICS’ strategy, and ASICS and Japan HealthCare will further accelerate their collaboration to realize a society where anyone can walk well for life and will start working together on demonstration trials by conducting foot checkups※ targeting elementary and junior high school students. We intend to spread a culture of caring for feet during childhood through foot checkups and create products and services to support children’s foot and future health.

ASICS is fully committed to continue developing and providing value-added products and services to our customers via partnership with innovative startups.

※Foot checkup is a checkup of foot where the photo of feet, which is taken by a smartphone, is analyzed by podiatrists and podiatry specialist physical therapists. For those who require special foot care as the results of the foot checkup, they will provide with recommendation regarding proper shoes, insoles or foot development programs that educate foot health to children and students.

<About JAPAN HEALTHCARE>
Name : Japan HealthCare Co., Ltd.
Headquarters : 1-6-15 Koto-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN
Representative : Representative Director & Medical Doctor Daichi Okabe
Business : Developing and selling of custom-made insole called HOCOH
URL : https://jp-hc.com/

  <About ASICS Ventures>
Name : ASICS Ventures Corporation
Headquarters : 7-1-1 Minatojima-Nakamachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, JAPAN
Representative : President & Representative Director Hiroaki Kageyama
Business : Investing in startup companies, promoting business development
URL : https://corp.asics.com/en/ventures/